Portable shower



Dec- 2, 1 5 s. SHABERMAN ET AL 2,862,211 PORTABLE SHOWER Filed Dec. 10,1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.- STANLEY SHABERMAN,

& WILLIAM KANTRALIS.

ATToRN Dec. 2, 1958 Filed Dec. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 16/ NVENTORS.

STANLEY SHABERMAN, 6y & WILLIAM KANTRALIS ,/C/J6 )1 I'M/477:5: 066,670 &M /VEA/A/Y United States Patent U PORTABLE SHOWER Application December10, 1956, Serial No. 627,483

4 Claims. (Cl. 4-154) This invention relates to a shower bath apparatusand more particularly to a portable shower assembly that may becompactly folded for packaging and handling.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide a shower apparatus that maybe installed by the user without requiring special skills or tools. Mostof such efforts have resulted in complicated and cumbersome assembliesby requiring large containers for shipping and handling and involvingthe use of numerous separate parts that .were subject to loss andmisuse.

'It is among the objects of our invention to provide a U-shaped clampconstructed and arranged to support a novel shower curtain ring'andshower head by simple manually adjusted clamping devices carried by theU- shaped clamp so that such clamping devices support the assembly in aneflicient manner.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a portable showeraccording to the preceding object where in the U-shaped clamp isconstructed and arranged so as to support a shower curtain ring and ashower head in either of two positions at right-angles to each other.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a portable showeraccording to the preceding objects wherein the shower curtain ringcomprises two inter-pivoted circular sections supported by the clamp ata chord of the circle across the circular shower curtain supportingring.

Further objects and advantages relating to ruggedness of construction,efficiency in operation, collapsibility for packaging and extendeduseful life will appear from the following description and the appendeddrawings where- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable showerapparatus supported by a floor joist shown in phantom outline;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shower curtain supporting ring inits partially folded condition;

Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation of a portable shower according to ourinvention illustrating the use of the device with the shower curtainsupporting ring removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 3 showing details of theU-shaped clamp;

Fig. 5 is an elevation with parts broken away of the device of Fig. 4;and

Pig. 6 is an enlarged detailed showing of the folding connectionprovided in the shower curtain supporting ring.

Referring to the drawings, the shower assembly invention as illustratedincludes a U-shaped supporting clamp 5, a shower curtain supporting ringindicated in its entirety as at 10, and a shower head assembly indicatedin its entirety as at 20. The U-shaped clamp preferably comprisesvertically disposed side walls 6 and 7 spaced from each other by aconnecting mid-portion 8 a distance slightly exceeding 2" so that theU-shaped clamp 5 may receive or embrace a floor joist indicated at 9 inphantom outline. The upper end portions of the sides 6 and 7 are eachprovided with outstanding flanges 11 and 12, respectively, and each ofsaid flanges is apertured as at ice 11a and 12a to receive fasteningmeans such as screws, nails or the like in the event the clamp is to bemounted against a flat surface. It will be understood as the descriptionproceeds that the flat surface referred to may be a fiat ceiling or avertically fiat wall and, accordingly, the shower of our invention iswell adapted for outdoor use where it may be attached to the side of thehouse ad jacent the usual sill faucet. Alternatively the clamp 5 mayembrace an upright pole or pipe.

The side wall 7 of the U-shaped clamp 5 is provided with a threadedopening to receive an eyebolt or clamping screw 13. The opposite sidewall 6 of the U-shaped clamp is provided with a pair of pointed spurs 6aand 6b, respectively. The end of the spurs 6a and 6b at the outside ofthe clamp is preferably slotted to facilitate adjustment of the spurs inthe side wall 6. It will be understood that the point of the spurs willbite into the wooden joist to improve the grip of the U-shaped clamp 5on the joist. It will also be understood that the spurs may beintegrally formed in the metal side wall 6. The inner end of theclamping screw 13 bears against the side of the joist and causes thespurs 6a and 6b to bite into the wooden joist 9. The flat bottom wallconnecting the two sides of the U-shaped clamp 5 is provided with fourspaced apertures as at 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d. Two of the apertures in theweb 8 of the clamp are spaced to receive the ends of the threaded U-bolt14. Referring, for example, to Fig. 4, the ends of the U-bolt 14 arereceived in the cooperating apertures 8c and 8d. The spacing between theapertures 8a and 8b is the same as the spacing between apertures and 8dand thus the U-bolt is adapted to be secured to the clamp in either pairof apertures which apertures are arranged at right angles to each other.Thus, for example, when the portable shower is to be packaged forshipment the U-bolt 14 is removed from the apertures 80 and 8d and isthen transferred along with the shower head assembly 20 so that the endsof the U-bolt 14 extend through the apertures 8a and 8b. Thislast-described arrangement may also be used for supporting the showerassembly with the shower head in use and extending co-axially of theU-shaped clamp 5 and the legs of the U-bolt being secured in theopenings 8a and 3b. The shower head assembly includes a length of tubinghaving a straight mid-portion 21 clamped by the U-bolt 14, a dependingcurved portion 22 provided with a hose coupling nut 23 and a seconddepending curved section 24 provided with a tube fitting 25 to receive ashower head 26. Preferably the shower head 26 is of the universallyadjustabletype so that the shower may be directed at various angles.

The shower curtain support ring 10 comprises two circular sections 26and 27 secured to each other at their free ends as illustrated in Fig.6. The circular section 27 includes a greater portion of the perimeterof the circle than the section 26. The smaller section 26 is providedwith an inwardly offset end portion 26a and is apertured to receive afastening bolt 28 and a pivoting bolt 29.

A supporting bracket 36 has diverging arms 31 and 32 With a dependingflange on each arm 33 and 34, respectively. The depending flange 33 isapertured to receive the pivoting bolt 29 and the fastening bolt 28.Thus when the bolts 28 and 29 are drawn up tight as illustrated in Figs.1 and 6 the two circular sections 26 and 27 form a rigid circularsupport for the shower curtain. When, however, the shower curtainsupport is to be folded or collapsed for packaging the fastening bolt 28is removed and the pivoting bolt 29 is loosened so that the circularsection 27 may be swung about the pivot bolt 29 to a folded position asillustrated in Fig. 2. By this folding of the ring sections 26 and 27and also pivoting the bracket 30 about the pivot bolt 29 the entireshower curtain sup- 3 port occupies a small space with all of the partsof the support in a nested or telescopic arrangement. This permitsshipment of the assembly without damage and without requiring the use ofspecial tools or the assembly of a number of small parts.

Although we have illustrated and described one form of our invention inconsiderable detail it will be understoodthat those skilled in the artmay devise colorable variations of our device without departing from thescope of our invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable shower unit comprising a U-shaped clamp having spacedvertically extending side walls adapted to embrace the underside of afloor joist, at least one of said side walls having a threaded apertureand a threaded pointed clamping screw received in said aperture with thepoint extending toward the other side wall and adapted to bite into saidjoist, said U-shaped clamp including a connecting horizontally disposedportion having two pairs of cooperating apertures, said pairs beingarranged normal to each other and a U-bolt adapted to be selectivelyreceived in either of said pairs of cooperating openings, a showercurtain support ring including a transverse bracket having itsmid-portion apertured to receive the spaced extensions of said U-boltsand a shower head i against the underside of said bracket and pulls theentire assembly tight against the underside of said U-shaped clamp.

2. A' portable shower according to the preceding claim wherein theshower curtain supporting ring comprises a pair of inter-pivotedcircular sections, the pivotal connection between said sections beingconnected to said bracket at its outer ends.

3. A shower curtain support assembly comprising a flat metal band curvedto form a portion of a circle, and a second fiat curved band adapted tocomplement said first curved band so as to form a circular ring, saidbands being connected to each other at their free ends by a pivotingbolt and a supporting bracket having diverging sides with the endportions of said sides connected to said pivoting bolt whereby theassembly of bracket and bands may be collapsed into a fiat package forshipment.

4. A shower curtain support assembly according to the preceding claimwherein one of said bands embraces a greater portion of the circle thanthe other of said bands and wherein the distance between the ends ofsaid bracket is less than the diameter of said circle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS474,947 Collins May 17, 1892 2,504,561 McMillan Apr. 18, 1950 2,567,463Atkinson Sept. 11, 1951

